Review: The Circus of Doctor Lao, Centipede Press edition

Having previously had so much fun reading (and reviewing) the Circus of Doctor Lao, when Centipede press announced it was publishing a limited edition of the novel, jam-packed with extras, a lengthy introduction collecting every previously published cover for the novel and more short stories by Charles Finney, I knew I had to have it.

Alas, by the time I wanted to put in my order, the book had already gone out of sale. That was that and I had to make my peace with it.

Or so I thought until a few weeks later as, on publication date, being a subscriber to the Centipede Press mailing list, I received a mail that stated that I could still get one of the extra copies If I was interested. The mail wasn't specifically adressed to me of course, but rather as a member of the public at large. So, having missed my earlier chance, I didn't waste any time hesitating and promptly placed my order.

And here it finally is. Look at that beauty.

As usual, Centipede Press has gone all out to deliver a very beautiful value for money edition of its publication.

Love the look of that satyr.
The Hound of the Hedges on the other hand, while cute
probably isn't even close to what it ought to look like.

Sexy satyrs, scantily dressed creatures of various mythologies, a sea serpent and...
a golden... ass...

Naked, sexy, sexy sexy book. 

Yes, yes It's stained a bit already... I'm not sure how it happened;
I'm usually so protective of my books.

It looks even better within its covers as the book is filled with extras and Illustrations.

The introduction to the book, besides giving welcome informative background to the creation and evolution of the novel and short stories' setting and Finney's life itself, comes packed with every cover illustration for the Circus of Doctor Lao ever made.

Movie poster for The 7 Faces of Dr. Lao

The part of the book that is the novel of the Circus of Doctor Lao itself comes with various illustrations, and what do you know; some of them even look good!

The lonely God, in a foreign land.
Can you tell I love the Satyr?

A very spooked Hound of the Hedges.

Another weird illustration of the Hound of the Hedges,
still as far removed from what I envisioned it to look like.

Other illustrations are just plain odd.

Surreal oddities.

Art by Boris Artzybasheff,
The original cover artist for first edition of the Circus of Doctor Lao.

I had already read the Circus of Doctor Lao itself, not too long ago either, and I had had a good time with it. See my review here:The Circus of Doctor Lao

What I hadn't read were the 11 short stories that were packaged neatly in after the main event.
The stories don't actually tie in to the Circus of Doctor Lao itself but they do take place in the same type of town, Manacle; the spiritual successor of the town where the Circus arrives, Abalone, Arizona, which in turn was a reflection of Finney's own place of residence at the time; Tucson, Arizona. There are also a few of these stories that were inspired by his time in the army, stationed in Tientsin, that read almost like they could be autobiographical pieces.

'The Black Retriever' is probably one of those stories that while still not actually tying in to the Circus itself does stick closest to it in execution.
After the short stories events, humanity is left uncertain of the things that it just has come into contact with. One of the more humorous pieces of the novel.

'The Captivity' is an odd little tale as I find I can hardly place it. It's one of these pieces of short fiction that slides close into autobiography but of course can't actually be autobiography.
Finney certainly was never made prisoner of war and certainly was never placed in an idyllic captivity in a paradisical zone as is described here. A pleasant tale that nonetheless leaves you with questions.

'The Door' was a touching story about musing on life after death, set within the confines of a hospital ward.

'The Gilashrikes' was another big oddity, both in themes and content; in parts genuinly funny, and in parts thoughtfully introspective and with rather a 'twist' ending, if you'll forgive that particular pun.
It's one of those endings that'll make you sit down in mild shock, a horrified grin plastered on your face, provided you're invested in the story, that is.

A story of a hobbyist Frankenstein and a crossing of birds and monsters. Mankind, in recognition of both flaws and the urge for redemption in what it has wrought, looking at his own creation and still not cutting it any slack; mankind as a dickhead.

'The Horsenapping of Hotspur': Similar to The Gilashrikes story; A tale, with anthropomorphic animals, intervening in the affairs of men, funny and silly.

'The Iowan's Curse' is a darkly humorous tale of a town that karmically punishes everyone that does a good deed towards another. I loved the escalation of punishments.

The Life and Death of a Western Gladiator made me feel like I was reading a very short Jack London story, but with snakes instead of wolves. Very good.

'Isabelle the Inscrutable' was one of the longest tales and also one of the hardest to read. There wasn't much going on and half of it read like an essay on Papago indians and how humanity's forward drive engenders a sort of universal conformity at the price of one's loss of individuality and tradition.

'Murder with Feathers' was a tale of an enclosed garden that is a haven for birds of all kinds. Lovely juxtaposition there at the end about how much it hurts us when we see animals get hurt, and how we don't even notice the war-planes anymore that take flight around us, ready to deal atomic death to our own kind.

'Private Prince' reads like another autobiographical tale and I found that it managed to pack quite an emotional punch there at the end. Just like the best short stories and of course life itself, the sting lies in the tail.

'The Night Crawler' is another similar tale, recounting the events in and around an army base in Tientsin and as opposed to the sorrowful ending of Private Prince, The Night Crawler actually manages to give some happy feelings to close out the show.

To reflect that; here's a page out of the catalogue-list that ends the Circus of Doctor Lao. Finney's whimsical side on full display. Enjoy.